Home Exchange Is Full of Surprises!

Home exchange is always full of surprises!

The best surprise is when you walk into your new, temporary "home" for the first time.

There is nothing more fun than getting the keys to a house and exploring! I remember our very first home exchange in a small town in southwest France. The taxi driver who picked us up at the train station couldn't find the house at first and we couldn't imagine where it was tucked in on the little side street it was supposed to be on. When we finally narrowed it down to where it must be there was no visible front door; just a large garage door in a stucco wall bordered on one side by a large stone building and on the other by a tall, very typical stone house with beautiful blue shutters and decorative steel balconies. The "house" we were to stay in looked like a walled fortress. I was not amused!

Finally we figured out that the steel front door was tucked into an alcove behind another stucco wall and the taxi driver left us standing with our bags and we just hoped that the key would fit!

It did but then we entered a pitch dark entry way that was about 3 feet by 3 feet square. Finally we opened a door and entered a long, very dark hallway that sloped downward and then upwards. I began to get a little worried. Up two steps at the end there was another closed door. Without anyplace else to go I turned the handle and, with a heavy sigh of relief and a pleased / happy bounce and squeal from my 7 year old son, we entered into a beautiful light and bright living room with lofty ceilings, massive fireplace, and huge windows looking out onto a large terrace with the grassy garden and large swimming pool below.

This was the thing that really got me hooked...even though you have seen many pictures and gotten acquainted with your home exchange partners before you leave, there are always fantastic surprises that await you at your home exchange destination!